She said Labor should implement the law because “Labor is the appropriate department that can compel bonding companies to release the unpaid wages of guest workers.”
Based on the surety bond agreements, the bonding firms “are held and firmly bound” to pay unpaid wages, including airfare.
“Surety hereby is bound to guarantee the individual obligation of principal to obligee,” Tantiado said, quoting one of the bond agreements between a surety bond company and an employer.
Tantiado, United Workers Movement, NMI president, asked Labor to disclose the figures regarding the repatriated guest workers’ airfare and the unclaimed plane tickets.
Reps. Tina Sablan, Ind.-Saipan, and Edward T. Salas, R-Saipan, earlier questioned Labor for allowing foreign workers with outstanding judgments from being repatriated without getting paid.
“There are hardship provisions available with respect to repatriation so that the persons who have outstanding unpaid judgments and wish to be repatriated can be paid from a government fund before they leave and allow the government to collect the unpaid judgments in their stead,” Sablan and Salas told Labor.
In reply, Labor Secretary Gil M. San Nicolas said guest workers with administrative orders that award them money damages are referred to the Commonwealth Superior Court for the enforcement of those orders.
“The department does not deport foreign national workers or keep statistics with respect to deportation,” he said.
According to San Nicolas, unpaid administrative orders are spelled out in detail in the small claims packet.
Tantiado asked Sablan and Salas to look into the administrative order issue and help define the responsibility of Labor in compelling bonding companies to release unpaid wages.
